Secondary menu

Building Science Resources: Home

A bibliographic research guide that focuses on environmental quality, performance measurement, technology, materials, historical sources, and strategies for finding materials at UC Berkeley and on the Internet.

Online industrial buying source. Search by product/service, company or brand. Browseable categories include: adhesives/sealants, electrical components, engineering contractors and consultants, and other products and equipment. Also download pre-drawn mechanical and electrical parts and data that can be downloaded into CAD systems.

Full-text access to international, national, local newspapers, and wire services, as well as radio and television transcripts. Database also includes business, medical, industry, and legislative magazines, journals, and newsletters. Also includes laws from the U.S., all 50 states, and law reviews. Wide geographic coverage and translations from foreign-language sources, as well as news services like the Associated Press, Agence France Press, El Pai. Nexis Uni allows users to set up personal accounts to personalize your research experience.

NTRL is the gateway to indexes, abstracts, and technical reports of the National Technical Information Service (NTIS). The NTIS archives reports from the Departments of Defense, Energy, Transportation, Agriculture, Health and Human Services, and others.

Indexes papers presented at conferences, symposia, meetings, expositions, workshops, and congresses worldwide in a variety of disciplines, including the arts, humanities, social sciences, physical and life sciences, biological and medical sciences,

Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

Dictionary of Architectural and building technology / Henry J. Cowan. 4th ed. London; New York: New York. E and FN Spon; USA and Canada by Routledge, 2004. Summary of vocabulary used in the building industry. Includes technical terms, illustrations and cross-references, si and metric units are included. Valuable for students and practitioners.

Projects, Associations, Centers and Libraries

Sponsored by a consortium of Canadian agencies. A building professional's guide to environmentally-appropriate technologies and practices. Includes indoor air quality, water conservation, waste management, electricity production, non-toxic materials, recycled materials, daylighting. Includes case studies.

(Archived Site) A British public commission site with goals to involve the public in shaping their own environments and to improve the ability of decision makers and professional groups to respond to growing public aspirations for a better built environment. Site includes many free online publications (pdf) - such as: Creating Excellent Buildings, Better Public Libraries, Designing 21st Century Libraries, Housing Futures etc.

A gateway to current research and analytic tools by HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research (PDandR). Use to access research reports about housing and community and economic development, data sets that can be used for original research, HUD income limits and fair market rents, and more. HUD USER includes, practical information on new building materials and technologies, emerging trends in urban planning and demographics, alleviating housing discrimination and homelessness, and strategies for making housing more affordable, durable, accessible.

Authorized by the U.S. Congress in the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, Public Law 93-383 as an organization that could serve as an interface between government and the private sector. The Institute's public interest mission is to serve the Nation by supporting advances in building science and technology to improve the built environment.
NMHC - National Multi Housing Council. A national association representing the interests of the larger and most prominent apartment firms in the U.S. NMHC's members are the principal officers of firms engaged in all aspects of the apartment industry, including ownership, development, management, and financing.

Includes a link to Professional Interest Group - Life-Cycle Assessment. The mission of the SETAC LCA Advisory Group is to advance the science, practice, and application of LCAs to reduce the resource consumption and environmental burdens associated with products, packaging, processes, or activities. See website for publications, conferences, data collection.

Contact Information

Off-campus Access to Library Resources

There are two ways to connect to library resources from off-campus using the new library proxy:

Links to online resources on library websites, such as OskiCat, will allow you to login with CalNet directly.

To access library resources found via non-UCB sites, such as Google or Google Scholar, you can add the EZProxy bookmarklet to your browser. Then, whenever you land on a licensed library resource, select your EZproxy bookmarklet to enable CalNet login.

ResearchWorks - newsletter of U.S. HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research. Includes publication announcements, relevant case studies, and success stories. For the research and practitioner communities.